Roaming through the hundred scenes of Jiangnan, experience the slow life of Suzhou tourism, with recommendations for canal attractions
1️⃣Pingwang·Four Rivers Convergence
🔹Pingwang is located in Wujiang, surrounded by lakes of various sizes. The Grand Canal winds from the north to Pingwang, where it splits into three waterways. One goes to Huzhou along the Tai Lake, and two to Jiaxing. Pingwang is bordered by the Taipu River to the north and the Yingou Lake to the south, with numerous lakes around, reflecting the reality of a water town.
🔹During the Sui Dynasty, the Grand Canal connected the north and south, where it meets the Ditan, excavated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in Pingwang. The place is vast with misty waves, and from south to north, only the paths divide among the reeds, with the sky and water blending into the horizon, hence the name Pingwang. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, water and land post stations were established, with abundant trade and travelers around, and numerous inns and stations in Pingwang town, 'where thousands of boats gather from afar, commonly known as Xiaofeng Bridge'.
🔹To this day, the Grand Canal's route does not pass through Pingwang town, but historical traces brought by the canal can still be seen everywhere.
2️⃣Baodai Bridge
🔹Baodai Bridge, having endured a thousand years of weathering, lies horizontally between the Grand Canal and Dantai Lake at the mouth of the Dai Dai River, parallel to the ancient canal. It is about 316 meters long with 53 arches, the longest and best-preserved ancient stone arch bridge in China, known as 'Suzhou's First Bridge'.
🔹The Wu Culture Museum, located in the Baodai Bridge scenic area, officially opened in June 2020. Viewed from the lakeside, the main building of the museum, with its gray-white walls and glass curtain walls, is scattered among the river network of the water town, like a whitewashed compound, encapsulating the treasures and subtleties of Wu culture.
3️⃣Shihu Five Dikes
🔹Shihu is one of the bays of Tai Lake, together with Qizi Mountain, forming the southwest corner of the Suzhou ancient city's mountain and water landscape. Historically, it has been praised as 'the best place to travel near Wu County'.
🔹Located southwest of Suzhou's ancient city, Shihu is divided into East Shihu, West Shihu, and South Shihu, with five dikes: Wu, Yue, Shi, Yang, and Fan lying across the water.
🔹Shihu is a scenic area known for its Wu-Yue relics and pastoral scenery, part of the Tai Lake National Scenic Area, with attractions such as the Fisherman's Village, Tianjing Pavilion, Xingchun Bridge, and Shihu Chuan Yue.
4️⃣Hengtang Post Station
🔹At the junction of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Suzhou Xujian River, there is a triangular river island where the old site of Hengtang Post Station is located.
🔹There is one pavilion remaining at Hengtang Post Station, one of the few ancient post station buildings in the country. This pavilion was the gate of the original Hengtang Post Station, with a couplet in front of the door 'Guests are greeted with tea as if hosting, the lantern hangs waiting for the moon, illuminating the distant Xujian River'.
🔹As the only remaining ancient postal relay along the Jiangnan Canal, it witnesses the Grand Canal connecting the north and south, linking ancient and modern times, and is an important landmark of Jiangnan culture.
5️⃣Shuilu Panmen
🔹Panmen is one of the eight gates of the ancient Wu capital, the only one in China that preserves the complete ancient city gate with both water and land entrances, and is the bustling place described by Fan Chengda as 'People laugh and chat in the cool evening breeze, with thousands of lights reflecting on the river and ponds'.
🔹Panmen is easy to defend but hard to attack, with water and land gates side by side, an important military defense structure of the ancient city. Ruiguang Tower is an ancient tower from the Song Dynasty located within Panmen.
🔹Facing Panmen, the single-arch Wumen Bridge spans the outer city river, an important passage for entering and exiting Panmen by land, and is the highest single-hole ancient stone arch bridge in Suzhou.
There is a parking lot at the entrance of the scenic spot. Parking is very convenient. The scenic view is not bad. You can climb the ancient city wall. The city gate building is more distinctive. The city gate is lift-up. The tower can be visited and the surrounding landscape can be seen.
Very good, holiday, many people, there is a small city, there is a tea house, a little expensive, but very beautiful. Holidays and family travel, too fast.
The scenic spot is not big, there are two water and land gates, it is better to retain the style of the ancient city gate, and the ancient equipment is very interesting. I took the tour guide of the tour group next door and learned a lot of knowledge and culture. It is very good to bring a baby, Suzhou is worth visiting many times.
The night view is great, there is a market on Friday! Snacks are more expensive, after all, it is a scenic spot, and the overall feeling is that the night scene is worth more than the matinee! However, the entire scenic area is not big. If it is a foreign country, you don’t need to run a special trip. The overall play is about1-2 hours.
Originally, the Spring Festival in 2020 has been put into the itinerary, and finally came over in 2024. Panmen attractions are very large, the scenery is very good, there is history, during the Spring Festival, Suzhou attractions are half price, Didi driver said that last year's Spring Festival attractions are free, everywhere is crowded, Fortunately, tourists have gone to those famous parks this year, and the experience is very good.
Less than 3 kilometers away from home, the last time I went was a high one. I saw the photo of the light meeting on the top of a book, and I took my father and mother to take the baby to see it. The lighting in front of Lijing Building is very beautiful, the mobile phone can't take its beauty, the scene is full of dreams, there is a kind of prosperity for a thousand years. This lantern fair integrates the theme of the king's glory, in addition to the full water lanterns, there is a flower boat of Miss Yuan. Those who like to see the lights will never be disappointed. In addition, why is there no light at all on the Ruiguang Tower hhhh
Very good attractions, not many people, taking pictures is very good, the ancient city gate of dual use of land and water is very strange, the wisdom of the ancestors!